Chapter 238: Ghost!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After drinking a cup of tea, Mo Wen got into a Porsche with Xu Qianqian and drove towards Xu Clan’s villa.
Xu Clan’s backer, the Xu Group, was a very famous company in the capital with assets that were way beyond the Lu Clan’s.
It was said that Xu Group’s Chairman, Xu Dongkui, was an orphan who grew up in poverty and was industrious when he was young. He had built Xu Group single-handedly with his intelligence and conscientious hard work.
It was crowded in Xu Clan’s villa today, as there was a family feast to celebrate Xu Dongkui’s full recovery from his illness and return to the peak of health.
Mo Wen didn’t understand until now why the Xu Clan could have so many offspring. Xu Dongkui’s lawful wife had given birth to Xu Qianqian, so why did she have so many elder brothers and sisters?
They eventually arrived at Xu Clan’s villa. Xu Qianqian released the seatbelt, got out of the car, and said while looking at Mo Wen, “Today, you are Xu Clan’s only guest. My father is very grateful to you, so you are invited to have dinner at our place instead of treating you in a restaurant.”
Mo Wen smiled and asked casually, “Is your father recovering well?”
“My father is very well now. Basically, he has returned to the peak of health, thanks to the superb medical expertise of Miracle Physician Mo. Thank you,” Xu Qianqian said with a smile. Suddenly, she realized that it had been a very long time since she had felt so relaxed.
“Uh-huh.” Mo Wen nodded. Just now, he was naturally not just asking casually but for another purpose.
Xu Dongkui’s condition was obviously man-made, with someone intending to harm him. Since someone intended to harm him, there would naturally be a second time after the first failed attempt.
He asked just now mainly to see if there were any weird symptoms happening to Xu Dongkui’s body. After all, the person who intended to harm Xu Dongkui was not an ordinary person, as a normal doctor wouldn’t know the technique they had used.
They walked into the villa together, but there wasn’t anyone in it. There were only several servants who were busy preparing for the feast that night.
“My father has just recovered from the serious illness, so there were still many matters in the group that had not been handled. Recently, he had too much on his plate and is still not back,” Xu Qianqian uttered and smiled apologetically.
Previously, her father was bedridden, so he naturally couldn’t handle the matters in the group. However, now that he had recovered, there were heaps of matters to handle.
In the first place, a mature company would have no problem with the chairman being away for some time. However, Xu Clan was in a special situation now in which they had had some misfortunes in their family, and there were some things that Xu Qianqian was unable to explain to Mo Wen.
“It’s alright to wait for a while.”
Mo Wen smiled and sat on the sofa in the living room. Since he was already there, naturally he wouldn’t mind spending some time.
Xu Qianqian hailed the servants. They served fruit on the coffee table in the living room and made a cup of tea for Mo Wen personally. Then, she sat opposite Mo Wen on the sofa to accompany him.
Mo Wen took a sip of the tea and said while looking curiously at Xu Qianqian, “I am very curious how your family could have so many children, and seems to have such complicated relationships.”
The last time Xu Qianqian explained her family situation to him, he found that something was amiss, but at that time he was there to treat Xu Dongkui, so he couldn’t ask in detail.
Now, since they were free, he began to be curious again.
Xu Dongkui’s lawful wife is dead, and Xu Qianqian was given birth by the lawful wife. Then, Xu Dongkui remarried, so how could that woman’s child be Xu Qianqian’s second elder brother? That is just too weird…
“I knew you would ask…” Xu Qianqian laughed self-mockingly. Every family had their own problems, and only that family would know their own matters, but since Mo Wen asked about it, it wouldn’t be polite not to tell him.
“When my father was young, he was outrageous… My mother suffered a lot when she was with him. Before my mother had given birth to me, my father had a few illegitimate children outside and had many relationships with many women…”
Although Xu Qianqian didn’t explain in detail, Mo Wen understood right away. Actually, when Xu Dongkui was young, his personal life was licentious. Not only was he promiscuous, he was also sowing his seeds lavishly and had many children of different ages.
“In fact, my present step-mother was already with my father before my mother had given birth to my eldest brother. After my mother had given birth to my eldest brother, she gave birth to my second elder brother, followed by my third elder sister and my fourth elder brother…”
Xu Qianqian smiled with some bitterness. This kind of matter was a family scandal that nobody would willingly tell others about. Moreover, it was very unfair to Xu Qianqian’s mother.
“Those brothers and sisters of yours are all living in the Xu Clan?”
Mo Wen’s lips twitched a little. So, all were illegitimate children! However, as illegitimate children, how could it be possible for them to appear in the Xu Clan without making their presence a secret? This family was too weird.
“As their mothers were all dead and nobody could raise them, they returned to the Xu Clan.”
Xu Qianqian fell silent for a moment. She didn’t seem willing to talk too much about this topic.
“Huh?”
Mo Wen raised his eyebrows slightly as he heard her. Their mothers were all dead? It was so coincidental!
Mo Wen muttered to himself, then looked thoughtfully at Xu Qianqian before asking, “What about your eldest brother?” That eldest brother seemed to be Xu Qianqian’s biological brother, but she didn’t talk much about him and almost didn’t mention him.
Xu Qianqian inhaled deeply. “He died two years ago.”
Normally, she didn’t dare to think about her eldest brother, as she would experience heartrending pain every time she did. In actual fact, she had been the closest to her eldest brother in the Xu Clan. Their mother died young, and their father was busy with his business and indulged in debauchery, so he was rarely home. Hence, her eldest brother took care of her like a brother and also like a father.
She had stronger and deeper feelings towards her eldest brother than her father. Sometimes, Xu Qianqian had great resentment towards her father. Because of him, this family became the way it was – cold, full of sibling rivalry, and without any affection.
“How did he die?” Mo Wen asked.
“After he had grown up, my eldest brother helped my father in managing the company. He died of poisoning two years ago while having his meal in the company’s canteen.”
Xu Qianqian bit her lips. She still couldn’t believe that her eldest brother had left her in that way.
“Poisoning.” Mo Wen curled his lips, as it was rather too weird for someone to die of poisoning while having a meal in his own company’s canteen.
“The one who poisoned him was the person in charge of a department in the company. He seemed to have some work-related conflicts with my brother and tried to get revenge by poisoning him. That person was sentenced to jail for life, but it was reported that he accidentally died in jail not long after being incarcerated. It was indeed retribution.”
Xu Qianqian laughed coldly. She would never forgive that person who had poisoned her eldest brother.
“Oh!” Mo Wen rubbed his chin while contemplating quietly with his eyes full of mischief.
He didn’t ask Xu Qianqian how her mother died, but the death of a young woman was definitely not natural.
The lawful wife was dead and the lawful wife’s eldest son was also dead. How could anyone believe that there wasn’t anything fishy about it?
Xu Qianqian was involved in the situation with simple thinking and had little experience with things, so it was normal not to think of it. However, Xu Dongkui was an influential man in the business world and often involved in others’ conspiracies and plots. How could he not think of the problem in it?
Mo Wen took a sip of the tea but didn’t comment any further. The Xu Clan’s matter had nothing to do with him. It was their family’s matter. He came to Xu Clan today for only one purpose, and that was regarding the leads to the Heretic organization. Perhaps he could find out something from Xu Qianqian’s second elder brother.
When he put down the teacup, a small figure suddenly ran in from the outside of the villa and capered into the living room. She grabbed an apple casually and took a bite of it before happily chomping down on it.
“Sister Qian, why do you have time for chit-chatting with someone in the living room? Didn’t that old fellow let you take over some of the matters in the group? Why do you have time for sitting around? That old fellow is muddleheaded. He should have handed over the group to you long ago. As he gets older, his eyes are getting blind. Even I think he is too godd*mn simple.”
The young girl was chomping the apple while sitting down next to Xu Qianqian and was speaking with her mouth full. However, she didn’t even look at Mo Wen, who was also sitting in the living room. It was as if she were oblivious to his presence.
“How can you say that? You keep calling him old fellow, but he is your father. It is basic courtesy to respect elders. Furthermore, don’t swear whenever you speak. I told you before that girls cannot be uncultured, or you may not be married in the future.”
Xu Qianqian furrowed her brows and glared at her youngest sister. She used to be obedient and sensible. When had she became like this? Due to her father’s illness, she had been busy running around for a period of time and had been relaxed in discipling her.
The young girl retorted disapprovingly. “I know. How can I be not married? Those who want to marry me are still lining up from the living room to the gate of the villa.”
“What you mean by lining up? Are you having a relationship with a boy?” Xu Qianqian’s face became serious. Her brows knitted as she glanced at her youngest sister with a sense of austerity. Her youngest sister was only 13 or 14 years old, and infatuation was definitely forbidden.
The effects of infatuation and the potential for harm to girls are too great.
“No! I don’t even like to associate with the boys. Sister, I am just saying. You were the one who said I might not be married in the future.”
The young girl seemed to be very observant of people’s behavior, so she immediately looked pitiful and put on a goody-goody look as if someone had wrongly accused her.
“It’s good that you are not. Let me remind you, I wouldn’t mind you being friends with the boys but infatuation is forbidden.”
Xu Qianqian’s face relaxed a little. This was the only youngest sister in the family. Other than Xu Qianqian, who would normally discipline her, basically nobody else would bother about her, so among the few siblings, this youngest sister was closest to her.
However, this youngest sister was also pitiful, as her mother had died not long after giving birth to her. She had been brought to Xu Clan’s villa to be raised by the nanny. In the family, her father was busy with his business and basically didn’t bother about her, while the rest of half-siblings were even more apathetic towards her.
Xu Qianqian held her youngest sister’s hand and said while pointing at Mo Wen, “Let me introduce a big brother to you. You will address him as Brother Mo in the future. Understand?”
“Alright! Brother Mo…”
The young girl didn’t bother with who this Brother Mo was. Since her sister asked her to greet him, she wouldn’t mind just greeting him casually. However, when she finally set her eyes on Mo Wen, she was immediately stupefied. Then, she suddenly screamed at the top of her voice, “Ghost!”